Monday, December 14, 2015

Following the success of the
2015 Climate Summit in Paris, there is hope for many small
islands threatened by the rising oceans! However, in many cases it may be
too late, and something must be urgently done to save them!

Here is a view of Achutupu, a tiny
island off the Caribbean coast of Panama, painted by Howard Walker.

This
proposed rescue concept would involve constructing a raised platform for
supporting a recreated landscape, over an island that is being engulfed by the
sea, using the mushroom structural elements of theHoneycomb Villages to
build a concrete deck on piers. Gradually, the endangered village would be
relocated on this elevated ground. The deck would be covered with soil and the existing
buildings and huts moved on top. The entire man-made raised island may grow
like a plant on an horizontal plane, as needed. As the sea advances, more
hexagonal modules could be added. The structure could be prefabricated on the
main land and tugged to the island on rafts. Stairs and circular ramps would
provided communication between the new higher ground and the flooded lower land
and sea, without being affected by the changing ties or storms. The concrete
structure should be clad with multi-colored artificial stone to simulate corals
and blend into the natural landscape.

Maintaining the presence of the native village
on an island would be preferable to a forced resettlement, which might result
in a loss of identity. Cost-wise, if all aspects are considered, staying on the
ancestral place may prove to be preferable. It would also be a matter of
principle not to retreat. Although the required infrastructure will be
expensive, so will be any relocation. Another positive outcome will be the
creation of many long-term jobs on the islands, and on the main land as well,
especially in the construction and service sectors.